Double-faced changeable-letter sign



J. G. WILLIAMS DOUBLE FACED CHANGEABLE LETTER SIGN Filed July 2l 19.22

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ATTORNEYS Patented .lune 26, 1923.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH GILMER VJILLIAMS, 0F NEWT` YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH IO` GEORGE T. KEEN AND ONE-FOURTH T0 CEAXVFORD BURTON, BOTH 0F NEW' YORK,

DOUBLE-FACES!) CHANGEABLE-LETTER SlGN.

Application led July 21,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. lVILLrAns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of of New York, have invented a new and Improved Double-Faced ChangeablesLetter Sign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to signs and particularly to an improved changeable letter sign which is capable of receiving letters on both the obverse and reverse faces.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved simplified sign capable of receiving different sized letters without adjusting any of the parts. i

Another object of the invention is to provide a changeable letter sign wherein letters of any desired size may be readily applied or removed from either the front or rear face of the sign.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sign formed of built-up sections, each section being constructed with means for engaging a letter and holding the same in place.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a front view of a sign disclosing an embodiment of the invention, certain parts being broken away for illustrating certain detail features.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on line 2-2.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on line- Figure 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary perspective view showing one corner of the sign illustrated in Fgure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the letters capable of use on the sign shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 11 indicates a frame which may be of wood or any desired material, said frame having the top and bottom bars and also the end bars grooved so that they will be U-shaped in cross section and thereby presenting channels for the reception of part of the various bars or strips 12. As clearly indicated in the drawing, the top and bottom bars of the frame accommodate one or more of the strips 12 while the 1922. Serial No. 576,514.

end bars accommodate the ends of all of these strips and hold them in place. Each of these strips is formed from a central filling strip 13 which may be of paper, cardboard, wood or other material, said filling strip being covered by astrip of cloth 14e, said cloth being held together and in position bythe zigzag seam 15. The threadsof the zigzag seam 15 may freely connect the abutting edges of the strip 141 or if desired may extend entirel, through the strip 12 as indicated at 16. ere the filling member 13 is. paper or wood, the stitching may readily extend entirely through the filling strip and both the top and bottom covering sections of the strip 13. The various strips 12 are made of a certain length and when a certain size sign is desired, the frame 11 is constructed to the desired size andthen thel strips 12 cut to the desired length to fit be-A tween the ends of the frame 11, after which they are placed in position and they various parts of the frame secured together by nails or other securing means. By this construction and arrangement a standard length of strip 12 may be manufactured and also a standard length of channel members may be manufactured and cut into the proper length to make any desired' size sign.

"When the sign has been completed, the strips 12 are automatically held in proper operative position by the frame. As the covering 14 of the strips 12 is of cloth, there is a certain resiliency provided in the stack of strips 12 so that the various letters 17 may be readily placed in position by having their ears 18 forced between certain of the strips l12, which strips by reason of the resilient action of the covering thereof, will pinch these ears and lock to a limited extent the letters in place.

Preferably in the actual manufacture of the strips 12 they are made approximately one-eighth of an inch thick so that large letters 17 may be mounted on the sign or small letters 17. Also letters may be mounted on the sign on both the front and rear surfaces thereof and arranged substantially in any desired manner.

ln providing signs with suitable letters, it is desirable that the letters or the words formed by the letters shall be properly centered on the sign. By providing the strips 12 comparatively thin as stated, the words on both faces of the sign may be properly centered both vertically and longitudinally.

What I claim is l. A letter sign, comprising a plurality of strips of identical construction and substantially rectangular in cross section, a pad of cloth between the strips for resiliently holding one strip against the other means for holding said strips together, and a letter formed with ears, said ears being capable of insertion between any of said strips on either face of the sign.

2. In a changeable letter sign, a plurality of Ysuperimposed strips, each of said strips comprising a central member, a wrapping member of cloth, and a line of stitching for securing` said wrapping member in position; together with letters held between said strips.

3. In a changeable letter sign, a plurality of superimposed strips, each strip having a central body strip, a wrapping of cloth, and a zigzag line of stitching extending through said cloth and'said body strip; together with a plurality of letters heldbetween the strips 4 at both sides of thek sign.

4. yA double faced changeable letter sign, comprising a 'frame having channel members at the ends, a plurality of strips having the ends extending into said channel members, each of said strips being provided with a wrapping of cloth whereby a resilient gripping action will be produced, and letters provided with ears, said ears being adapted to be inserted between any two of said strips on either face and on both faces of the sign simultaneously.

5. A double faced sign, comprising a frame, a plurality of padded members ar ranged in said frame and extending from one face to the other, and letters formed with ears insertable into a position between said padded members, said letters being capable of being held between said padded members on either face of the sign.

6. A double faced sign board adapted to receive removable letters and the like, comprising a frame, and a plurality of padded members arranged in said frame and extending from one face to the other, the edges of said-padded members forming the obverse and reverse faces of the board.

7. A sign board, comprising a plurality of superimposed strips, each of said strips comprising a central member, a wrapping of cloth, and means for securing said wrapping of cloth in position on said central member.

8. A double faced sign adapted t0` receive letters and the like, comprising a plurality of strips, a covering for each of said strips formed of comparatively resilient material and means for holding said strips with their coverings in an assembled position so that their edges will form the obverse and reverse faces of the board, said strips `by reason of being held in a substantially given position having a pinching laction when anything is inserted between any two of the strips.

9. A sign board for receiving letters and the like on both the obverse and reverse faces, comprising a plurality of identically constructed strips substantially rectangular in cross section, a cloth covering independently mounted on each strip, and means for holding said strips in stacked relationship.

JOSEPH GILMER WILLIAMS. 

